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134 THE II BOOKE OF THE QanL XII.
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To which when she your courage hath inchnd
Through foolish pitty, then her guilefull bayt
She will embosome deeper m your mind,
And for your rume at the last awayt
The knight was ruled, and the Boateman strayt
Held on his course with stayed stedfastnesse,
Ne euer shruncke, ne euer sought to bayt
His tyred armes for toylesome weannesse,
But with his oares did sweepe the watry wildernesse
30
And now they nigh approched to the sted,
Where as those Mermayds dwelt it was a still
And calmy bay, on th'one side sheltered
With the brode shadow of an hoarie hill,
On th'other side an high rocke toured still,
That twixt them both a pleasaunt port they
made,
And did like an halfe Theatre fulfill
There those hue skters had continuall trade,
And vsd to bath themselues in that deceiptfull
shade
31
They were faire Ladies, till they fondly striu'd
With iti Heliconian maides for maistery ,
Of whom they ouer-comen, were depnu'd
Of their proud beautie, and th'one moyity
Transform'd to fish, for their bold surquedry,
But th'vpper halfe their hew retainelstill
And their sweet skill in wonted melody,
Which euer after they abusd to ill,
T'allure weake trauellers, whom gotten they
did kill
32
So now to Guyon, as he passed by,
Their pleasaunt tunes they sweetly thus
apphde,
0 thou faire sonne of gentle Faery,
That art in mighty armes most magmfide
Aboue all knights, that euer batteli tnde,
0 turne thy rudder hither ward a while
Here may thy storme bet vessell safely ride,
This is the Port of rest from troublous toyle,
The worlds sweet In, from pame and wean
some turmoyle
33
With that the rolling sea resounding soft,
In his big base them fitly answered,
And on the rocke the waues breaking aloft,
A solemne Meane vnto them measured,
The whiles sweet Zephrus lowd whisteled
His treble, a straunge kinde of harmony,
Which Guyons senses softly tickeled,
That he the boateman bad row easily,
Andlethimheare some part of their rare melody
34
But him the Palmer from that vanity,
With temperate aduice discounsellea,
That they it past, and shortly gan descry
The land, to which their course they leueled,
When suddemly a grosse fog ouer spred
With his dull vapour all that desert has,
And heauens chearefull face enueloped,
That all things one, and one as nothing was,
And this great Vniuerse seemd one confused
mas
35
Thereat they greatly were dismayd, ne wist
How to direct their way in darkenesse wide,
But feard to wander in that wastfull mist,
For tombling into mischiefe vnespide
Worse is the daunger hidden, then desende
Suddemly an innumerable flight
Ofharmefuilfowlesaboutthem fluttering, ende,
Andwiththeirwickedwingsthemoftdidsmight,
And sore annoyed,groping m that griesly night
36
Euen all the nation of vnfortunate
And fatall birds about them flocked were,
Such as by nature men abhorre and hate,
The ill faste Owle, deaths dreadfull messengere,
The hoars Night rauen, trump of clolefulldrere,
The lether winged Bat, dayes enimy,
The ruefull Strich, still wailing on the bere,
The Whistler shrill, that who so heares, doth dy,
Tne hellish Harpies, prophets of sad destiny.
37
All those, and all that else does horrour breed,
Aboutthem flew,and fild the lrbayles with fearc
Yet stayd they not, but forward did proceed,
Wlnles th'one did row, and th'other stifly
steare,
Till that at last the weather gan to cleare,
And the faire land it selfe did plainly show
Said then the Palmer, Lo where does appeare
The sacred soile, where all our perils grow ,
Therefore, Sir knight, your ready armes about
you throw
38
He hearkned, and his armes about him tooke,
The whiles the nimble boate so well her sped,
That with her crookedkeele the land she strooke,
Then forth the noble Guyon sallied,
And his sage Palmer, that him goutrned,
But th'other by his boate behind did stay
They marched fairly forth, of nought ydred,
Both firmely armd for euery hard assay,
With constancy and care, gainst daunger and
dismay